Machine for treating limbs



J. P. GARDNER. I MACHINE FOR TREATING LIMBS.

I APPLICATION FILED JAN.27, 1919- 1,354,245;

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

livefizw 751195 r7210:

J. P. GARDNER.

MACHINE FOR TREATING LIMBS. APPLICATION FILED JAN- 27. 1919.

' 1,354,248, I Pdtentedsept. 28,1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

J. P. GARDNER. MACHINE FOR TREATING LIMBS.

. APPLICATION FILED JAN- 27,1919. 1,354,248, I PatentedSept. 28, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

JAMES P. GARDNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FGR TREATING LIMBS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES P. GARDNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State oi Illinois, have invented certain new and use-' ful Improvements in Machines for Treating Limbs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine which is adapt-ed to give massaging or kneading treatment, and is especially adapted for giving such treatment to the limbs of a person. The desirability of giving massage or manipulating treatment to the limbs of a person after such limbs have been injured, and during the reconstruction process, is becoming well recognized. This is particularly true in connection with arms or legs which have been broken or dislocated, or which may have been more or less paralyzed. l Vhile manual manipulation is beneficial, it is more or less ineilicie'nt on account of the strength required and the desirability of long continued manipulation or massage. Furthermore, manual manipulation, which depends upon the strength and skill of the masseur, cannot be regulated or adjusted in the same way as is. possible with machines for this purpose.

The objects of the present invention are,to provide a machine which can be made comparatively small and inexpensively, and which will serve to efi'ectively massage or knead the arms or legs of a person; to pro vide a machine of this character which may be accurately adjusted for varying the pres sure; and, in general, to provide such an improved apparatus as will be described more fully hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention:

Figure 1 is a side View;

Fig.2 is a rear elevation;

Fig. 3 is a plan view; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view showing the lower portion of the machine.

As illustrated in these drawings, 5 represents an upright frame having front posts 6 and rear posts 7. These posts are connected, adjacent to the lower ends thereof, by means of a bed-plate or table 8, having hollow lugs 9 at the corners, which fit over the posts 6 and 7. The posts are also connected by a bracket or frame member 10, which is substantially U-shaped and is provided with lugs 11 which fit over the upper justment, such as the adjusting screws 19.-

Drums or pulleys 20 and 21 are mounted on the shafts 17 and 18 and carry a relatively wide endless belt 22. These pulleys may be fixed to their respective shafts, or the shafts may be stationary and the pulleys turn thereon. The drum or pulley 20 is driven by a driving pulley 23, which may be made integrally therewith or secured thereto, and is driven by a belt 24.

A second bracket 25, which is similar in shape to the bracket 10, is provided with lugs or bearings 26 which slidably engage the posts '7. This bracket has a bearing 27 at the center of the .rear cross-piece which is engaged by the lower end of an adjusting screw 28. The cross-piece 13 has a central threaded aperture 29 for the screw, so that as this screw is turned by means of the hand wheel 30, the bracket 25 will be moved up or down.

The bracket 25 supports the shafts 31 and 32 which carry drums or pulleys 33 and 3a, which are supplied with an endless belt 35 similar to the lower belt arrangement just described. The pulley 33 is turned by a driving pulley 36, which is also actuated by the belt 24:.

Any suitable means may be utilized for driving the belt 2%. In the present instance, the machine is illustrated as being driven by a motor 37. This motor is mounted on the bed or table 8 and drives a crossshatt 38 by means of any suitable reduction gearing, such as indicated by the worm 3 9 and worm gear e10, which gears are mounted in the gear box 41. This box is preferably integrally formed with the bed or table 8 in the manner indicated. The shaft 38 carries a driving pulley 42, which drives the belt 24. It will be seen that as the bracket 25 is moved up and down, takeup means must be provided for adjusting the belt. Such means is tarnished by the idler pulley 43, which is mounted on an arm 44 which is pivotallymounted on.

the bearing for the shaft 38. An adjustable weight 45 serves to regulate the tension on the belt, but it will be observed that any other suitable take-up mechanism may be utilized. V

The belt 22 carries the massaging or kneading devices, which may be of any suit able form or character. In the present instance, it is provided at intervals with bearings 46 which support the reduced ends of rollers l7, which rollers extend substantially across the full width of the belt. These rollers may be made of any suitable material,'but I have found that wooden rollers are satisfactory for such purpose. The belt is also provided with bearings 48 for rollers 4-9, which are similar to the devices just described.

WVhile the size of this machine may be varied, it will be better understood from the dimensions as actually designed. The rollers 47 in this particular construction are about one inch in diameter and eight inches long. The drums or pulleys supporting the roller belts are about four inches in diameter, and the supporting shafts are about ten-inch centers. The opening between the upper and lower sets of rollers is sufiicient so that it may be arsuch'motor or any suitable justed to receive the arm or leg of a person, which will ordinarily be extended through from the front of the machine; and the upper bracket is given a slight pitch so as to'allow for the taper'or reduction in the size of the limb inserted in the machine. It will also be noted that the upper bracket may be brought sufficiently close to the lower bracketso that the hand or wrist may be massaged. V

The roller belts in this instance are shown as being driven in opposite directions, or so that adjacent portions of the two belts move in'the same direction, but, of course, the belts may be driven in thesame direction, if desired, by changing the driving belt 24. The belts may be driven continuously, or their direction may be reversed-by utilizing a reversing motor, or the massage belts maybe rociprocated by the use of reciprocating mechanism (not shown).

the back, the hand may When the machine is to be used, for instance, in massaging an arm, the arm will be inserted from the front of the machine, and onacconnt of the frame being open at be projected through the frame so that the rollers may be brought to engage with any part of the arm desired. It will also be noted that the leg may be massaged in the same manner, the foot being projected through the back of the frame. It will also be seen that the limb may be inserted transversely so that the rollers will move across the limb instead'of longitudinally, and by adjusting the tension on the belts, the rollers may be broughtmore or less around the limb. For this treatment, resilient or yielding adjustment devices may be provided, but the belts 22 and 35 will ordinarily be sufiicientl y flexible and yielding so that the rollers may be brought to conform to the circumference ofthe limb.

It will be noted that various changes may be made, in the arrangement of parts and details of construction in order that the machine may conform to different conditions or uses, and, therefore, I do notwish to be limited to the exact construction herein shown and described, except as specified in the following claims, in which I clain'i:

1. In a machine for treating limbs, the combination of a frame, including two wrtical posts, a-lower horizontally arranged belt provided with massage devices, carried by said frame, a vertically movable bracket mounted on said posts, an upper substantially horizontally arranged belt carrying massaging devices, mounted in said bracket, means for driving said belts, and means for adjusting the upper belt vertically. v V j 2. In a massage machine, the combination. of a frame,- including front and rear posts, the rear posts extending upwardly above the front posts, a frame member connecting the posts at the top of the front posts, rollers mounted in said framemember, a belt car-' ried by said rollers, massage devices mounted on said belt, a bracket slidably mounted on said rear postsabove said belt, rollers mounted in said bracket, a belt carried by said rollers, massage devices on said lastnamed belt, means for drivingsaid belts and a screw for adjusting said'bracket.

3. In a massage machine, the combination 7 of a frame, a massage belt mounted horizonarranged above the first-named belt, means for vertically adjusting said second-named belt, pulleys for driving said belts, a driving pulley, a'driving belt from said pulley to the driven pulleys, an idler for taking up the slack in the driving belt, and means for turning said driving pulley.

4. In a m assage machine, the combination of a frame, a horizontally arranged massage belt mounted in said frame, a second horizontally arranged belt mounted above said first-named belt'with a space between them, means'for adjusting one of said belts bodily with respect to' the other belt,fl pulleys for driving said belts, a driven pulley, a driving belt from the driving pulley to the driven pulleys, and means for turning said driving pulley. 7 7 V I 5. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of a substantially horizontal massage belt, a second massage belt mounted above the first-named belt with a space between them, means for adjusting the second belt bodily toward and away from the first belt whereby a limb may be inserted between the belts and project beyond them, and means for actuating said belts.

6. in an apparatus of the character set forth, the combination of a horizontally arranged massage belt, a second massage belt arranged above the first-named belt and at an angle thereto, means for adjusting the belts bodily with respect to each other, and automatically adjustable means for driving said belts.

7. in a machine for treating limbs, the combination of a frame, drums mounted in said frame, a belt carried by said drums, rollers mounted on said belt, a pulley for driving one or said drums, a bracket mounted on said frame above said belt, means for adjusting said bracket vertically, drums carried by said bracket, a belt around said drums, rollers mounted on said belt, a pulley for turning one of said drums, a motor, a driving pulley driven by said motor, a swinging arm, an idler pulley carried by said arm, a driving belt rove around said pulleys, and means for adjusting the tension on said idler pulley.

8. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination of vertically arranged posts, a table carried by said posts, a top frame member connecting said posts, drums carried by said frame member, a belt around said drums, bearings on said belt, transverse rollers carried by said bearings, a pulley for driving said belt, a cross-piece at the top of the two rear posts. a vertically adjustable bracket carried by said rear posts, a screw coacting with said cross-piece for adjusting said bracket, drums carried by said bracket, a belt around said drums, bearings on said belt, rollers carried by said bearings, a pulley for driving said last-named belt, a driv ing pulley mounted adjacent to the table, a motor mounted on said table, reducing gearing between the motor and driving pulley, a driving belt from said driving pulley to the pulleys for driving said belts, and an automatic take-up for said driving belt.

9. In a massage machine, the combination of a horizontally movable massage device, a second horizontally movable massage device positioned above the first-named device and between which and the first-named device the member to be massaged is positioned, means for adjusting one of said devices bodily toward and from the other device, and means for actuating said devices.

10. In a massage machine, the combination of a horizontally movable massage device, a second horizontally movable massage device positioned above the first-named de vice, means for actuating said devices, and means for adjusting the entire devices relatively to each other.

JAMES P. GARDNER. 

